Culinary Skills

How to Peel a Tomato

 The first Culinary Skill I want to teach it really simple, but I didn't realize how many people don't know how to do this! I want to make your life easier! Usually this is because you really haven't had the need for a peeled tomato, but you should! If you grow your own tomatoes it can be super cheap and easy to whip up a delicious pasta sauce or you can can them so you can have fresh tomatoes all year round. Both of these recipes plus others call for peeled tomatoes.

Have you ever thought to yourself "there is no way I am peeling a tomato! That's impossible! Skipping that part". Because I totally have! Then, when I started in the Culinary program I learned this and it has changed my life!!

Step 1: Start by putting some water on the stove to boil. Next, get a bowl of ice water ready. Make it large enough to fit all your tomatoes in at once. Wash the tomatoes. Then take them, one by one, and using a knife cut a shallow x in the bottom of the tomato. Like so...

Step 2: Once your water is boiling and you have slashed all of the bottoms of the tomatoes, place all the tomatoes into your pan of water. Let the tomatoes sit in the water for about 30 seconds. 

                                             

Step 3: Spoon out your tomatoes and place directly in the bowl of ice water (also called an ice bath). Let the tomatoes sit in the water until they have cooled. You can pull one out before it has cooled completely to test. Sometimes the tomatoes need to boil longer. 

To test: pull out one tomato out of the ice bath and try to peel the skin off with your fingers. If the skin does not immediately start to peel place that tomato back in the boiling water and try another. If the second does not peel, put all the tomatoes back into the pot of boiling water. If, however it does peel off, put in back in the ice bath and let cool. 

Step 4: Once you have tested your tomatoes and they have peeled properly and they have cooled completely you can pour out the ice bath. Take each tomato one by one and peel off the skin. They should peel off really easily and look something like this....

                              

Finish peeling and you are done! Congrats you have successfully peeled a tomato!! Questions? Comment on this post and I will be happy to answer!

Happy Eating!!